The Eldest Brother is Handsome but Sick. - Chapter 26

The Visit to Mount Wofuo

“How have you all been doing since Grandma passed away?”

Deep within Mount Wofuo lay a hidden sea of flowers. When the weather was fine, one could see swarms of butterflies dancing. As a breeze brushed past, the flower stalks swayed gently—serene and vibrant.

Old Lady Li was buried here.

“We’re doing well; the Hall of Three Lives looks after us,” Li Dasheng said as he handed paper money, incense, and candles to Yan Jin. “Master Yin and Sister Qingyan helped find jobs for everyone, and they let me stay at the Hall to help out. Everyone can feed themselves through their own efforts now.”

He was clearly delighted to see Yan Jin, unable to stop himself from grinning. However, the movement tugged at the injuries on his face; he winced in pain, but not daring to cry out, he quickly covered his mouth.

Yan Jin nodded slightly. He waited quietly for the paper money to finish burning before placing a plate of chestnut cakes in front of the tombstone.

He closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing his emotions. When he looked up again, he wore his usual smiling expression. Seeing Li Dasheng nearly stifling himself, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What are you doing? Let’s go.”

Li Dasheng’s eyes widened: “Mmph mmph mmph?”

How is this poor kid still so dim-witted after all these years?

Yan Jin rose and chirped, “I can’t understand a word of that. Why don’t you try saying it to Little White Plum instead?”

“I don’t speak dog!” Li Dasheng retorted. “I was asking: is that it? Aren’t you going to have a good cry?”

Yan Jin looked at the tombstone and then down at himself, raising an eyebrow. “What? Is there a new government regulation that forbids people from sacrificing without weeping?”

“Well, no,” Li Dasheng jumped up and said hurriedly. “Not crying is good. It’s best not to cry. Your body is weak enough as it is; if you cry yourself into a state, wouldn’t the people of the Hall of Three Lives eat me alive? Besides, Grandma wouldn’t be at ease seeing you like that… why are you looking at me like that?”

Yan Jin scrutinized him from head to toe, let out a sigh, and walked away.

Li Dasheng practically leaped three feet into the air. “Yan Jin, what is that supposed to mean!”

The Transformation of the Courtyard

The two bickered all the way back to the Hall of Three Lives. It was New Year’s Eve, and the Hall had been closed since the afternoon. However, Xia Qingyan, Lin Jiebai, and Su Huai were all absent; only a hungover Yin Zhushuang, reeking of alcohol, was scavenging for food in the kitchen.

Yan Jin first paid his respects to his Master before returning to his own room.

He then stood frozen like a wooden chicken in front of a small courtyard that seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

Originally, the backyard of the Hall of Three Lives was very simple. To describe it, it had a “flower” layout: the courtyard was the center, with the bedrooms, accounting room, and pharmacy surrounding it like petals.

Yan Jin’s room was in the quietest corner simple, yet with a spacious exterior and an excellent view of the entire backyard.

But! Now! Why was there an eight-foot-tall wall enclosing his room?!

The wall was about eight feet high, perfectly encircling the open space outside Yan Jin’s room. The stone selected for the wall was exquisite, harmonizing beautifully with his two-story wooden building. It was a very pleasing sight.

Wait, something is wrong…

Yan Jin grabbed Li Dasheng’s arm, his pupils trembling as he looked up

Help, I must be hallucinating. Otherwise, how did my dilapidated shack turn into a refined, two-story wooden house!

And only his house had changed!

He spun around to see Li Dasheng looking completely unbothered, which made him even more certain he was dreaming. He entered the small courtyard in a daze.

Then he realized his dream might have started early.

At a glance, the courtyard floor had been repaved with stone slabs, without a single weed in sight. Clumps of emerald bamboo were planted in the corners, rustling in the wind. A red plum tree was in full bloom nearby, its fragrance drifting through the air. A few birds hopped on the branches, shaking the accumulated snow off the petals. This small courtyard had been tended to with moving elegance.

Inside, every room was spotless, filled with many of his favorite clothes and books. A brazier had been lit early in the bedroom; the moment he opened the door, a wave of warmth greeted him.

Everything was prepared, waiting for the long-distance traveler to return and enjoy it.

Just then, Yan Jin caught a faint scent. Almost instantly, his nerves strained from long periods of sleeplessness began to relax.

What is that wonderful smell?

Just as Yan Jin was about to investigate, Li Dasheng, who had been silent, said in surprise: “Oh? Has Brother Su already finished developing the new soothing incense?”

Yan Jin was stunned. “Su Huai did all of this?”

“Yes,” Li Dasheng said. “No one else would do these things but him.” He ran to the incense burner, sniffed carefully, and added, “It’s a bit different from the one from the other day. Pity I can’t tell what ingredients were added.”

Yan Jin asked, “Where is he?”

“I don’t know. I heard Sister Qingyan and the others went to buy New Year’s goods; they’re likely together.”

Before Li Dasheng could finish, Lin Jiebai’s shout came from the front yard: “Li Dasheng, are you there? Come lend a hand! We bought some great stuff this year!”

The New Year’s Eve Reunion

Yan Jin and Li Dasheng exchanged a look and headed to the front. Xia Qingyan and Lin Jiebai were hauling several large crates inside. Lin Jiebai held a jar of wine in each hand. “This is top-grade Zui Yang Chun (Drunken Spring Sun)! I had to ask many people to get this. Later we’ll—”

“Eldest Senior Brother!” Xia Qingyan suddenly interrupted him.

“Senior Sister Xia, don’t interrupt,” Lin Jiebai was still rambling about his wine. When he finally looked up and saw Yan Jin, he nearly dropped the jars in excitement.

“Eldest Senior Brother, you’re back!”

“When did you arrive? Why didn’t you say anything in advance!” He immediately set the wine on the ground, circled Yan Jin once, and lunged forward. He clung to Yan Jin like a man hugging a tree, weeping and wailing, “Eldest Senior Brother, you’re finally back! You have no idea how much I’ve suffered! These years, you don’t know how I’ve survived—Junior Brother has simply stopped acting like a human being!”

What kind of nonsense is he talking now?

Yan Jin looked behind them but didn’t see Su Huai. He tried to shake off Lin Jiebai without success and peered at Xia Qingyan. “Where’s Su Huai? He didn’t come back with you?”

Xia Qingyan nodded to Li Dasheng, pulled Lin Jiebai off Yan Jin, and said softly, “Junior Brother has a patient in critical condition and can’t leave. I’m afraid he won’t be back to spend New Year’s Eve with us.”

The excitement in Yan Jin’s heart immediately cooled. “I see. Let’s save some dishes for him then.”

“No need. He’ll definitely be back tonight. He prepared that courtyard for you for so long; how could he not come back to see you? It just so happens the plum blossoms are blooming beautifully…” Lin Jiebai winked at Yan Jin and then shouted to Li Dasheng, “Dasheng! Don’t just stand there! Move the wine to the plum tree in the backyard! We’re eating there tonight!”

“Understood!” Li Dasheng responded cheerfully and hurried to move the jars.

The group busied themselves setting out the New Year goods and preparing the feast. Though it was a “feast,” it consisted only of a few small dishes. With Su Huai absent and Yin Zhushuang refusing to participate, the gathering was quite sparse much colder than the New Year’s Eve from years ago.

The Drunken Encounter

The sky grew dark as a light snow began to fall, dusting the courtyard.

Warm yellow lanterns were hung beneath the plum tree, illuminating the falling snow and red blossoms. They gathered around the brazier to warm the wine; the fragrance drifted through the air, creating a hazy, elegant atmosphere.

This wine was mellow and extremely intoxicating. Yan Jin couldn’t drink much, so Lin Jiebai placed a pot of tea on the brazier to boil as well. As they toasted and drank, they eventually reached a point where no one could tell which pot was wine and which was tea.

“Come, Eldest Senior Brother, let’s have another cup. I’ve missed you to death these past few years.” Lin Jiebai, his eyes half-closed, poured a cup from an unknown pot and wobbled as he placed it by Yan Jin’s hand.

The alcohol fumes were dizzying. Combined with the joy of returning to the Hall of Three Lives, Yan Jin had already had several cups. He was a bit tipsy and couldn’t distinguish the contents of the cup; thinking it was tea, he downed it in one gulp.

However, a spicy, potent liquid slid down his throat. Because he drank too fast, it ignited a wave of heat that made him cough instantly, a crimson flush blooming on his cheeks.

Yan Jin felt as though a fire had been lit in his stomach, rapidly spreading to his limbs. His vision began to turn floaty.

Even in this state, he had the presence of mind to check on the others.

Xia Qingyan didn’t drink and had retired early. Li Dasheng was still young, so Yan Jin hadn’t let him have much. Only Lin Jiebai was reckless, drinking until he collapsed on the ground, giggling and acting like a madman. This was truly an unseemly sight; Yan Jin simply waved his hand and told Li Dasheng to dump the man in front of the County Magistrate’s gate.

Night deepened, and the snow gradually grew heavier.

No one else was around; the courtyard was eerily quiet, enough to hear the soft pitter-patter of falling snow.

Yan Jin tried to stay sober, sitting upright, but his body felt as soft as cotton.

He sat alone for a long while, and for some inexplicable reason, a sense of grievance rose in his heart. “System, only you are here to accompany me.”

The System was busy with its writing and gave the drunkard a very perfunctory response.

Yan Jin stared dizzily at the snow for a while. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he stood up shakily. He wanted to find someone; he remembered there should be someone to stay up with him to see in the New Year.

He fumbled his way toward the exit. A thin layer of snow had accumulated on the ground—the kind that was most slippery. One step was all it took for his feet to fly out from under him. He paused, seemingly regaining a moment of clarity, only to be enveloped again by a deeper drunkenness. He looked down curiously at the footprints he had made and then tried to take another step.

This step… slipped again.

“Ah!” Yan Jin let out a short cry of surprise as he lost his balance. He was so drunk his limbs were weak; he had no time to react. His arms flailed uselessly in the air, and just as he was about to fall, his waist was suddenly gripped. He felt a blur of motion as he was pulled into a firm embrace.

The newcomer still carried the chill of the wind and snow, which was greedily invading Yan Jin’s body heat.

“Are you alright?” The voice was a bit hoarse but very pleasant, cutting through Yan Jin’s muddled brain. He could clearly feel the vibration of this person’s chest and the breath that brushed against his forehead as they spoke.

“I… I’m fine…” Yan Jin opened his mouth, but his voice was softer than usual, carrying an unconscious drawl. “It’s just… a bit hot…”

As he spoke, he instinctively used the back of his hand to touch his burning cheek. He looked up, his eyes wet and glistening.

Then, after seeing the person’s face clearly, he was completely stunned.

He blinked, suddenly cupping the person’s face with both hands, exclaiming in wonder: “Has a plum blossom turned into a spirit?”

Yan Jin was not one to be obsessed with lust, but he enjoyed appreciating beautiful things—beautiful flowers, beautiful outfits.

And beautiful people.

Especially a person whose beauty was so loudly occupying his entire field of vision.

The hand at his waist grew tighter, squeezing him until it hurt. Yan Jin shifted upward, and borrowing the courage from the wine, he wrapped his arms around the person’s neck and tilted his head to rub against their cheek.

In his drunken state, he didn’t know his own strength. He pulled the person’s head down slightly so they were forehead-to-forehead. His eyes reflected the light of the snow, crinkling into beautiful crescent moons. “Plum Blossom Immortal, you are so beautiful.”

“Don’t move.” The action caught the newcomer off guard. Su Huai’s breath hitched, and he tightened his grip.

He looked down at the misbehaving Yan Jin, and something surged within him. Yan Jin seemed to sense his gaze and looked up again, their eyes meeting.

They stared at each other for a moment, and then, they both laughed in unison.

Su Huai had originally planned to return to the Hall of Three Lives to spend New Year’s Eve with Yan Jin after settling his patient. He had even arranged for everyone else to be elsewhere so they wouldn’t disturb them.

But now, his plans were completely overturned.

Su Huai held the giggling man, burying his face in Yan Jin’s neck, his heart a pool of softness.

He had thought of the person in his arms for many years. When he leaned down to press his lips against the corner of the man’s mouth, snow fell nearby, synchronizing with the beat of his heart.

“Senior Brother, winter is suitable for heavy snow; there is the sound of breaking jade.”